World Cup 2026: Morocco beat Netherlands on penalties — Round of 32
Morocco beat Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw (aet) on June 29, 2026, at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. Cody Gakpo put the Netherlands ahead in the 72nd minute; Issa Diop equalised in the 91st minute from a Chemsdine Talbi cross. Ismael Saibari scored the decisive penalty. The Atlas Lions advance to the Round of 16.
The context
The 2026 World Cup’s Round of 32 delivered one of its most dramatic moments on June 29 at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, when Morocco’s Issa Diop headed in a 91st-minute equaliser to rescue his side from a 1-0 deficit against the Netherlands — triggering extra time and a penalty shootout that the Atlas Lions won 3-2.
For 72 minutes, Cody Gakpo’s finish had looked enough. The Netherlands had been disciplined and composed, defending a narrow lead with the organisation that had taken them through Group F as winners. Morocco pressed and probed without breaking through — until, deep into stoppage time, Chemsdine Talbi swung in a cross from the right and Issa Diop rose above the Dutch defence to head it home. The equaliser set off extraordinary scenes inside Estadio BBVA, a stadium whose Monterrey crowd had been heavily pro-Moroccan. Extra time followed, with neither side managing a decisive moment, and penalties would settle it.
In the shootout, Morocco held their nerve completely, winning 3-2. Ismael Saibari — who had already been one of the tournament’s most dangerous forwards with three group-stage goals, including the opener against Brazil on June 13 — converted the decisive kick to send the Atlas Lions into the Round of 16. For Morocco, it is another landmark on an extraordinary journey: the nation that made history as the first African and Arab side to reach a World Cup semi-final in Qatar 2022 now add a 2026 last-sixteen qualification to their record. The Netherlands, despite their strong group-stage form — including a 5-1 demolition of Sweden — are eliminated at the first knockout round.